The present invention relates in general to a carbonless form and more particularly to a laser imagable carbonless fold-over single sheet form.
Carbonless copy forms generally consist of two or more superposed sheets that have been treated such that an impact impression on the top sheet causes a copy of the impression to appear on the face of the remaining sheets. One known method for creating carbonless copies involves coating the back surface of a top sheet with a microencapsulated dye. This is sometimes referred to as a coated back (CB) coating. A bottom sheet has a front surface coated with a substance designed to react with the dye to reveal or alter the color of the dye. This is sometimes referred to as the coated front (CF) coating. The top sheet is then superposed on the bottom sheet. When the CF coating and the CB coating are in contact, and an impact impression is applied to the form, the microcapsules in the CB coating of the top sheet rupture releasing the dye. A copy from the impact impression is formed on the CF coated surface of the bottom sheet due to the reaction between the ruptured dye and the dye-revealing substance on the bottom sheet. This impact may be the result of writing on the form with pen or pencil, or the result of printing on the form with an impact printer, such as a dot matrix printer.
It has been desired that carbonless copy forms of this type be individually printed with a printer after the form is manufactured, such that the printing will only occur on one of the sheets making up the form. Unfortunately, it is often difficult to print carbonless copy forms using variable imaging devices such as ink jet and laser printers. The multiple layers that comprise the form may not pass smoothly through the printer. Rather the form may become pleated, or wrinkled, perhaps jamming the printer. Additionally, the top ply can skew, creating a misfeed and a printer jam. Further, depending upon the configuration of the CF and CB layers, and the desired printing requirements, passing the form through a printer may inadvertently rupture some of the microencapsulated dye, revealing ink in unintended positions.
The present invention overcomes the disadvantages of previously known carbonless forms. In the present invention, a single sheet is divided into a first portion and a second portion along a fold line. A reactive, dye revealing substance, or CF coating, is applied to the front face of the sheet within the first portion while a microencapsulated dye, or CB coating, is applied to the front face of the sheet within the second portion. Both the CB and CF coatings are applied to the same side of the sheet. A temporary tacking agent is applied to the back face of the sheet, such that when the sheet is folded backward along the fold line, the temporary tacking agent releasably holds the first portion against the second portion. The form may then be fed into a printing device, preferably using the folded edge as the leading edge. Subsequent to printing, the form is re-folded such that the CF and CB coating suitably line up for receiving impact impressions.
In accordance with one embodiment of the present invention, a form is constructed from a single sheet having a sheet face, a sheet back, and a fold line dividing the sheet into a first portion and a second portion. A first carbonless coating is applied to the sheet face within the first portion, and a second carbonless coating applied to the sheet face, within the second portion. A temporary tacking agent, preferably a repositionable adhesive, is applied to the sheet back such that, upon folding the sheet backwards along the fold line, the first portion is releasably held against the second portion by the temporary tacking agent. Preferably, the first carbonless coating comprises a CF coating while the second carbonless coating comprises a CB coating. Further, the fold line may be placed in any desired position. For example, where an application requires that both the first and second portions of the form be simultaneously printed on, the fold may be placed such that the second portion longitudinal dimension exceeds the first portion longitudinal dimension in size. The form is folded and positioned such that when placed in a suitable printer, the first portion may be printed upon at the same time that the exposed section of the second portion is printed upon. Additionally, the form may optionally contain one or more lines of weakening to divide the form into a plurality of panels. For example, the first portion may comprise a plurality of spaced lines of perforation, dividing the first portion into multiple panels. A temporary tacking agent may further be applied to the sheet back adjacent to each of the lines of weakening.
The first and second portions may further comprise a plurality of bores positioned adjacent to the fold line such that folding the first portion on the second portion, the plurality of bores on the first and second portions align. The bores enable a user to attach the form to other devices. Further, the second portion may contain one or more bores extending therethrough. Under this arrangement, the first portion contains indicia positioned such that, upon folding the sheet along the fold line wherein the second portion overlies the first portion, the indicia may be viewed through the bores in the second portion.
In accordance with another embodiment of the present invention, a form comprises a rectangular sheet having a sheet front surface, a sheet back surface, and a transverse fold line dividing the sheet into a first portion and a second portion. A coating of microencapsulated dye is applied to the sheet front surface within the second portion, and a coating of a dye reactive substance is applied to the sheet front surface within the first portion. A quantity of temporary tacking agent is applied to the sheet back surface and arranged such that when the sheet is folded along the transverse fold line and the sheet back surface rests against itself, the first portion back surface is releasably held to the second portion back surface by the quantity of temporary tacking agent. Preferably, the temporary tacking agent is a repositionable adhesive.
Optionally, the first portion may be divided into a plurality of panels, each of the plurality of panels being defined by lines of weakening in the first portion. The temporary tacking agent is applied in a strip along each of the plurality of panels, and preferably, the temporary tacking agent is applied in a strip adjacent to each of the lines of weakness in the first portion.
The first and second portions may further comprise a plurality of bores positioned adjacent to the transverse fold line such that folding the first portion on the second portion, the plurality of bores on the first and second portions align. The bores enable a user to attach the form to other devices. Further, the second portion may contain one or more revealing bores extending therethrough. Under this arrangement, the first portion contains indicia positioned such that, upon folding the sheet along the fold line wherein the second portion overlies the first portion, the indicia may be viewed through the revealing bores in the second portion.
In yet another embodiment of the present invention, a business form comprises a rectangular sheet having a sheet face, a sheet back, and a transverse fold line dividing the sheet into a first portion and a second portion. The first portion has a dimension in a direction normal to the transverse fold line which is less than the dimension of the second portion in a direction normal to the first transverse fold line. A pattern printed indicia is applied both to the sheet face within the first portion, and the sheet back within the second portion. A first carbonless coating applied to the sheet face within the first portion, and a second carbonless coating is applied to the sheet face within the second portion. A quantity of temporary tacking agent, preferably a repositionable adhesive, is applied to the sheet back such that folding the sheet about the transverse fold line, the first portion is releasably held against the second portion. Preferably, the first carbonless coating comprises a carbonless CF coating, and the second carbonless coating comprises a carbonless CB coating.
The sheet may contain one or more lines of weakening dividing the sheet into a plurality of panels. Under this arrangement, the temporary tacking agent may be applied adjacent to each of the lines of weakening.
The first and second portions may further comprise a plurality of bores positioned adjacent to the transverse fold line such that folding the first portion on the second portion, the plurality of bores on the first and second portions align. The bores enable a user to attach the form to other devices. Further, the second portion may contain one or more revealing bores extending therethrough. Under this arrangement, the first portion contains indicia positioned such that, upon folding the sheet along the fold line wherein the second portion overlies the first portion, the indicia may be viewed through the revealing bores in the second portion.